Domestic matters

There is a saying amongst those of us with a slightly jaundiced weltanshauung; "What a really nice day, now watch some bastard come and ruin it."

Another gloriously sunny BC Sunday afternoon, Mrs S and I were enjoying the sunshine; she reading a new author, and me getting rapidly bored with a Clive Cussler. Computer makes ringing noises. It is a Skype call from England. Mother in law has taken ill with a Transient ischemic Attack, otherwise known as a TIA, or more colloquially, a 'mini-stroke'. She is around ninety, and so such things are to be expected. This is not to say that they are in any way, shape or form, welcome.

Mrs S just flipped from relaxed into mild anxiety state, and for my part, I am ensuring she has suitable quantities of Ice Cream and Hot Chocolate as mild endorphin stimulants. When presented with these goodies, my much better half opined that I was reading her mind again. This is not true, these measures are simply a well rehearsed first line of response on my part in case the situation deteriorates and I need to think quickly without too many divers alarums and histrionics polluting my decision making processes. As we are six thousand miles away, there is little we can do but leave the lines of communication open and stand by for action. There is no immediate point Mrs S leaping straight onto the next flight eastbound, as her youngest sister is on the scene already. As is to be expected, the transatlantic telephonic wires will be running slightly warmer than usual.

I suppose it was too good to last. Mrs S was feeling good about herself and her work, my own is ticking over nicely, and we were feeling pretty optimistic for once. Both of us were nicely chilled. Now the apple cart may not be upset, but it is teetering precariously, and my job is to try and hold everything together at this end while fate plays out it's sneaky double dealing hand. While in no way an outright emergency, this distant situation threatens disharmony too soon after the last batch. Emotional rollercoasters can be fun, but quite frankly I could do without the reverse double upside down twist and double loop of it all. Oh well. Heavy sigh. I suppose I'd only get bored otherwise.